“Viewpoints” is a place on Chapelboro where local people are encouraged to share their unique perspectives on issues affecting our community. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work, reporting or approval of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com. If you’d like to contribute a column on an issue you’re concerned about, interesting happenings around town, reflections on local life — or anything else — send a submission to viewpoints@wchl.com.
Green Belt, Chapel Hill Style
A perspective from Molly Aubertine
Ever notice how many new developments, especially housing complexes, there are when driving through Chapel Hill lately? It’s pretty impossible not to. With North Carolina consistently ranking as one of the top moving destinations in the nation, the Triangle region is growing rapidly, particularly Chapel Hill. New developments, especially housing complexes, are built seemingly overnight to accommodate our various job opportunities and nearby university. This rapid expansion comes with hidden costs though, as deforestation drives the degradation of our environment.
As a student and community member, I’ve witnessed firsthand the changing landscapes of Chapel Hill. Trees disappear and apartment complexes spring up. Although necessary, these developments threaten our environmental well-being. Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It’s here, fueled by the unchecked growth and outward expansion we see happening right in our backyards.
The spread of urban developments outward is known as urban sprawl. Melissa McCullough, a member of the Chapel Hill Town Council, captured it perfectly in a recent conversation when she expressed, “sprawl is the enemy.” Her words reflect a reality we must urgently confront. While Chapel Hill mandates a quota of tree replanting for new developments, McCullough indicates that the town must focus on increasing the density of our urban areas. Scattered greenery within and around developments make areas less dense, pushing new construction outward and essentially accelerating environmental harm. Therefore, replanting more around new developments would not be effective. There must be a way to push developments inward while prioritizing green spaces elsewhere.
Solutions to this issue exist and have been implemented elsewhere. Chapel Hill has the potential to revolutionize local urban planning. Inspired by London’s enduring Green Belt policy, Chapel Hill could create and implement their own version of a green belt. London’s green belt, a strictly protected ring of green space surrounding the city, was designed explicitly to halt urban sprawl and maintain biodiversity. Established in 1938, it continues to protect habitats, improve air quality, reduce flood risk, and boost agricultural productivity, all while keeping urban growth concentrated and sustainable. Studies confirm London’s success. Between 1975 and 2015, the inner-city population grew by 35%, with urban sprawl decreasing by nearly 19%. Residents now enjoy cleaner air, abundant green spaces which can be used for recreational activities, and vibrant biodiversity. Chapel Hill could benefit from all of these things.
Imagine a Chapel Hill surrounded by blooming and protected greenery. Imagine concentrated development that makes use of existing urban land efficiently, reducing car dependency and improving our local air quality. The foundation for such a green belt already exists, provided by areas like Mason Farm Biological Preserve and Carolina North Forest existing on Chapel Hill’s outskirts. These large green spaces could provide a starting point for the belt. Expanding these natural green spaces on the outer edges of town by planting and growing trees and vegetation could tremendously transform our town, promoting inward-focused, sustainable growth. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly circular belt like London’s, but rather something that conforms to the current layout of town. Luckily Chapel Hill already has a great bus system with several lines and stops. With a green belt, routes could be altered to stop at these denser areas very frequently since people are living in more concentrated areas, therefore making public transportation more accessible. Citizens would then become less reliant on cars, greatly reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Implementing a green belt in Chapel Hill would not come without challenges. Town officials must strategically create green spaces in the most efficient way to limit the need to displace residents. They also must collaborate with neighboring towns like Carrboro and Durham to make this transition possible and effective. Financial considerations are significant too, but hopefully we could gain the help of organizations like the Sierra Club, which promote and fund urban sustainability projects, as they have expressed support for similar initiatives.
We cannot afford hesitation. The longer we delay, the more irreversible the damage to our environment becomes. Chapel Hill has always stood for sustainability and innovation, so we must put these values into action. When we prioritize density and protect green spaces, we choose cleaner air, healthier ecosystems, and enhanced quality of life. I urge Chapel Hill’s leaders and residents to commit to making this vision a reality. Let’s be remembered as the generation that chose sustainable urban growth over unchecked development and sprawl. We have the chance to build a future where our town remains beautiful, healthy, and vibrant.
As Melissa McCullough wisely stated, “sprawl is the enemy,” so it’s time we unite and defeat this enemy, choosing a greener, denser, and more sustainable Chapel Hill. Our community, environment, and future generations depend on it.
“Viewpoints” on Chapelboro is a recurring series of community-submitted opinion columns. All thoughts, ideas, opinions and expressions in this series are those of the author, and do not reflect the work or reporting of 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com.
Chapel Hill’s prior “greenbelt” policies only served to drive real estate values through the roof and caused regular families to flee to adjoining, more afordable counties, where they face long commutes into town on choked roadways. These policies, which initially were touted as preserving Chapel Hill’s “village character” and later as “environmentally sound”, made The Southern Part of Heaven quite the elite (elitist) locale. Most of the developments approved since the late seventies were unabashedly upscale, either expensive McMansions on tiny lots or million-dollar condo units housed in five to six story box-buildings that hover over Chapel Hill streets like old, ugly Soviet style government ministries. In the 90s, we were treated to the spectacle of one very upscale neighborhood’s residents fighting a new development in the woods just across Weaver Dairy Road because the homes slated to be built therein would sell for $100,000 less than their own pricey palaces. Environmental concerns were flashed about, but elitism was the underlying theme. Carrboro, by the way, is following close behind Chapel Hill. While its residents post “Black Lives Matter!” wall murals and yard signs, its population becomes whiter and whiter, richer and richer.
Chapel Hill’s percentage of white residents has been decreasing since the 90s. Median income adjusted for inflation has been up and down for the past five years,
I like the concept of a green belt in principle, but be wary as Kirkman suggests that it could lead
to very high priced homes on large lots. Also, while development in Chapel Hill has indeed been rapid, note how much of it has been “in fill”—building and repurposing out dated shopping centers (University Place) and dilapidated hotels (across from Trader Joe’s). It’s just a terrible shame that these in fill developments don’t have more affordable housing options.